NHTSA Complaint #10441241 — 2009 MAZDA MAZDA3

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE TPMS WARNING CAME ON. ON INSPECTION THE TIRE VALVE WAS MISSING, IT LOOKED SHEERED OFF. TOOK THE CAR INTO A TIRE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT CENTER AND HAD A NEW TPMS VALVE INSTALLED. I'VE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE IN MAZDA 3'S, AND LIKELY MANY MAZDA'S. AT THE TIME, I CONTACTED A MAZDA DEALER WHO OFFERED NO EXPLANATION AS TO HOW A VALVE STEM CAN SHEER CLEAN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT, CLEAN HIGHWAY. ALL THEY OFFERED WAS A REPLACEMENT PART, NOT WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS UNDER THE BASIC WARRANTY AT THE TIME. SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD ANOTHER TIRE AIR VALVE SHEER OFF ON A SECOND MAZDA 3 (2009) WE HAVE. WE BOUGHT 2 - 2009 MAZDA 3'S AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECOND MAZDA 3 HAD LOW TIRE PRESSURE. ON INSPECTION, THE VALVE CAP WAS REMOVED AND THE VALVE BROKE OFF. IT BROKE WAS THE CAP WAS BEING REMOVED. THIS IS A VERYDANGEROUS CONDITION AS THESE THINGS CAN SHEER OFF ANY TIME WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AND YOU HAVE A SUDDEN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WE'VE NOW EXPERIENCED 2 FAILURES ON 2 CARS, AND ONE FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED THAT RESULTED IN A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR A YOUNGER LADY OF COLLEGE AGE. THIS IS DANGEROUS. MAZDA NEEDS TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND MANUFACTURE A PROPER VALVE THAT CAN BE USED IN A VERY COMMON USE SCENARIO, NAMELY, DRIVING DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN SALT IS BEING USED FOR SAFETY REASONS. THAT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE AS TO WHY THAT PART FAILS. HERE ARE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF WEBSITES WHERE YOU CAN SEE THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON. HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2009/MAZDA/MAZDA3/TIRES/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2009/MAZDA/MAZDA3/TIRE+PRESSURE+MONITORING+SYSTEM. *TR